jablonowski



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United States Patent() i V,

CAR PARKING SYSTEM Alexander L. Jablonowski, Waukesha, Wis. Application February 15, 1955, Serial No. 488,250 14 Claims. (Cl. 340-413) My invention relates generally to car parking systems and in particular to systems for automatically signaling the status of a parking lot. The invention is adaptable to4 parking lots having one or more aisles for parking many cars, with visual signs at each aisle and at all entrances to the lot advising drivers whether there is a vacant car station in any aisle.

It is an object of my invention to provide a new system for a car parking lot, which is relatively simple and inexpensive to construct and is dependable in operation for advising drivers of a vacancy in the parking lot.

Another object of my invention is to provide `in a parking lot a signal which indicates that all of the parking stations in eachl parking aisle are occupied with the signal immediately responsive to the movement of a car from any parking station without involving a delay until the departing car has neared the exit of the lot.

Still another object of my invention is to provide simultaneous signals at individual aisles inside a parking lot and at the entrances to the lot with those signals automatically responsive to indicate a vacancy in the lot because of a car moving from a parking station.

And another object of my invention is to provide a parking lotsignal system to automatically warn drivers outside the parking lot that a sulcient vnumber of cars have entered the lot to iill the vacant stations even though all the cars in the lot have not `reached their respective parking stations, and with the signal system responsive immediately to show a vacancy when any car leaves its individual parking station.

These and other objects and advantages of my invention will be obvious to those skilled in the art from a consideration of the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which;

Fig. l is a top view of a parking lot on which there is shown a diagram of an electrical circuit for a system embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a diagram of an alternative electrical circuit for an aisle of the parking lot illustrated in Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is an elevation view of a suitable indicator for the aisles and entrance of the parking lot shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. ,4 is a top view lillustrating the 'arrangement of elements in a parking lot, for a modied electrical circuit embodying my invention;

Fig. v5 is a diagram of the 'modified part of the elec trical circuit for the parking lot represented in Fig. 4, and

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of a suitable switch for the car stationsof the parking lot illustrated in Fig. 4.

The car parking lot outlined by construction lines in Fig. 1 has an entrance 11, two parking aisles 12, 13 and an exit 14. The lot is intended to be illustrative only as the number of aisles, entrances or exits may vary Likewise, while four parking stations 16, 17, 18 and 19 are 2,733,426 Patented Jan. 3l, 1956 illustrated in each aisle 12, i3 there may be more or fewer parking stations in any of the aisles.

At one end of each of the aisles and at each entrance to the lot there is an electrical sign type indicator. These indicators are automatically controlled by cars in the parking lot and may be any suitable visual semaphore or signal. In this instance this'visual signal is represented as a lam The visual sign is immediately responsive to the movement of a car from any parking station and advises drivers that a vacancy exists in a parking station within an aisle. The visual sign will continue to show a vacancy until cars again ill all parking stations of the aisle. As soon as the aisle is full, the electrically re sponsive visual sign will so advise drivers.

In the illustrated instance an aisle signal which, for a single aisle parking lot, may constitute the entire system includes a first circuit comprising the conductor 23 connected to a source of electrical energy represented by leads 24, 25. In series between those two leads there are `normally open switches 29, 30, 31, 32 (one at each of the parking stations), an electrical responsive aisle lamp 26 and coil 27a ofrrelay 27. The normally open switches are forced closed when touched by cars entering the parking stations. For this instance when the electrical responsive sign is a lamp, there is a second aisle circuit between the leads 25, 25. In this second circuit there is a second aisle lamp 28 which is turned on whenever the parking system is energized. The two aisle lamps 26, 28 are contained in a single visual indicator 21 (Fig. 3).

ln order to make the two lamps provide visual signs advising that the aisle is full or has a vacancy, the indicator has two sections 33, 35 ,which are separated by an opaque barrier 34. Lamp 28 is in the right hand section 33 which has the word Vacancy painted on its cover glass. Since the lamp 26 is on whenever the system is energized, the Vacancy light is always illuminated. Lamp 26 is in the left hand section l35 which has the word No'painted on its cover glass. The barrier prevents the lamp 28 from illuminating the cover glass of section 35.

A car is represented as being inone of the parking stations in which case the normally open switch of that parking station is closed. However, since all of the parking stations switches of each aisle are in series, the said first circuit of the aisle signal is not closed, and the electrical responsive sign or lamp 26 is not turned on until that circuit closes as a result of a car (being in every parking station of the aisle. Then all of thev parking station switches of that one aisle will be closed in series connecting the lamp 26 to the electrical source and illuminating the cover glass of section 35 whereby the indicator for that aisle will show No vacancy because both lamps in the indicator will be turned on. Similar aisle signals with like indicators are embodied in each aisle.

Besides the indicators for each aisle there are entrance signals which advise of the statusV of the entire lot by similar visual signs to drivers. The entrance signal includes indicator 36 (at each entrance to the parking lot) which is shown inFig. 1 with lamps the same as the aisle indicators. Therefore, that entrance signal also has two circuits between the leads 24, 25 of the electrical source. The first entrance signal cirp cuit has in series entrance lamp 37 and each of the nornot illuminate the cover glass painted No until the relays of all of the aisles are energized and the normally open contacts of those relays are closed in series with each other and with lamp 37.

A mcdified aisle signal having two way switches at each ot' the parking stations is shown in Fig. 2. ln the modifications, however, only two parking stations are represented. The movable blades 39, '40 respectively, of the two parking station 'switches are biased to a normally closed position on contacts v41, 4 2 which are in parallel branches of a first Vsignal vcircuit which includes lampv 543,' sourcelld and conductor 47. With either of the blades 39 or 4t?, biased to its normally closed position, lamp 43 is connected `with source 44. For example, if a c ar enters the lirst parking station and forces movable vblade 39 to close on contact 49, then the circuit to lamp 43 isv through blade l39, contact 4Q, blade 40, contact 4l, and conductor '46. And if va car enters the second vparking station and forces movable blade 40 to close on contact 5t), without a car being in the first parking station so that blade 39 of the first switch remainsin its normal position Vagainst contact 442,*the circuit is closed from source 44, conductor 47, blade ,39, contact 42 to lamp 43. Thus, in either case lamp 43 stays on when any parking rstation is not occupied. l o

Lead 47 also comprises part of a second circuit of this modiied aisle signal connecting lamp 48 to the source 44. This second circuit has all of the parking station switches in series when cars occupy all of the parking stations. When cars enter ,the parking stations, the blades 3,9, 40, of the switches in each station, individually are forced to engage contacts 49, 50 respectively, thereby energizing lamp 4S and open circuiting lamp 43. With this modified aisle signal, the indicators preferably will be separate and provide Stop and Go signs for drivers. Lamp 43 illuminates a Go sign; whereas, lamp 4S illuminates a Stop sign.

As in thel first embodiment, in this modiiication the entrance signal responds to a change of thestatus of the aisles through relay 5,1, which has its coil 51a in series with the lamp 48. Relay 51 has a normally closed contact Sib in a Go light entrance circuit 54 and a uor mally open contact 51C in a Stop light entrance circuit 55.

Another modiiication of the Vparking system is shown in Figs. 4 and 5.V With this modification it is possible to anticipate that the lot is full before all oi/the cars which are in the lot reach their respective parking stations. Ye't the system is instantly responsive to advise of a vacancy when, a carele'aves any parking station without delay in the transmission 4of that advice until the departing car nears the exit of the lot. This feature of anticipating the full lot is accomplished by providing c ar waiting stations. In the illustrated instance there is one waiting station for each aisle in the lot.

For aisles 61 and 62, there are waiting stations 69 and 64, respectively. In other respects the arrangement of elements of the aisles is similar to the arrangement of elements shown in Fig. 1. These elements are the parking station switches 65, d6, 67, 68, aisle indicator 63, and entrance indicator .7G interconnected in Fig. 4 by con.- duit 71 for containing the conductors of the circuits. Fig. shows the vpart of the aisle signal circuit which diiers from `the circuit described above with respect to Fig. 1. t Parallel branches are Vincluded in the circuit, being in series with lamp 26' and relay 27. Y

The number of parallel branches corresponds to the number of parking stations and every branch has in series a normally open Contact of the car operable switch at each parking station. When a car touches switch d5, normally open contacts 55a, 5512, 65e and 65a' close. And each of the other parking station switches 66, 67 and 68 closes its four contacts (identified by the switch numeral and letters tz, b, c and d). Vln each of those parallel branches there is a contact of the waiting station switch 69 in parallel with one of the contacts of the parking Y station switches. Specifically, in the example the waiting station switch has four normally open contacts, and in each branch one of those waiting station switch contacts is in parallel with a contact of a different parking station switch. The contacts 69a, 69h, 69C and 69d all closerwhen a car touches the waiting station switch 69. Thus, when all but one of the parking stations are occupied, one of the branch circuits will close as soon as a car enters the lot and touches the waiting station switch, and immediately the entrance indicator will advise `drivers outside of the lot that 'there are a 'suicient number of cars in the lot to till all the parking station; yet immediately a car leaves any parking station the branch circuits will all open, the aisle circuit relay will be deenergized opening the aisle circuit, and the indicator will advise drivers outside the lot that a vacancy exists.`

l While any suitable car operableswitch may be utilized in this system an example of a wheel .operatedswitch is shown in Fig. 6. This switch is recessed in .the parking lot surface 73 and has a pair of plates 74, -75 which are separated by resilient insulating material 76, such as rubber. The upper plate 74`carries contacts S1, 82., 83, 84, which are insulated from each other and from the plate 74. The resilient material 76 biases those contacts intoa normally open position away from contact elements 86, 87, 88, 89, but when a car is on the plate 74 those contacts'tare forced to touch the contact elements.

The waiting station contacts include means for delaying *theirl opening so that, after a car leaves the waiting station,wth'e entrance indicator will not change from No vacancy to Vacancy while the car is proceeding from the waiting station to its -parkingstation This delay may be provided for by a dashpot 79 in the wheel operated switch. Y

The switch shown in Fig. 6 may also be used for the parking stations. However, for parking stations switches the means for delaying opening of the contacts preferably is omitted so that the indicators will be immediately responsive to a car leaving a parking station.

The operation of this improved car parking system is generally covered by the above descriptive matter. Briefly, visual indicators are provided at each aisle to advise of any vacancy. This is done by either Stop and Go lightsor No vacancy and .Vacancy, signs. At all times when the system is employed there is a light advising drivers of the status of the individual aisles and the lot on a whole. The system includes a circuit with al1 of the parking stations of any aisle in series so that the circuit is not-complete until all of the parking stations arelled at which 'time the circuit is completed, and the indicator changes the sign.

In addition waiting stations may be added to the lot so that when a car is being parked, additional cars can enter'the lot with assurance that they will nd a parking station. But these additional cars cause the system to advisedrivers outside of the lot that no more cars can be accommodated in thelot. The function of the waiting station is utilized when all but one parking station Vis occupied. i The waiting station switch, of course, will close whenever touched by any car, but does not effect the electrical responsive sign unlessall but one parking station of an aisle is closed. When all but one parking station is occupied, a contact of the waiting station switch will bypass the open parking station switch contact in that aisle indicator circuit. For example, if parking station switches 66, 67 and 68 are touched by cars, the four contacts of each of thosjeswitches will be closed. However, if parking station switch 4tSS-is not touched, its four contacts will remain open so that the circuit to lamp 26 is incomplete. As soon as another car enters the lot and touches the waiting station switch 69, its four contacts will close with one of those contacts, 69a, by passing the open contact of parking stationswitch 65 in one branch circuit. With all of the parking station switches closed but one and with the contacts of that one switch by passed by a waiting station switch contact, the lamp 26 will be lighted advising drivers that this last car lls an aisle and the lot.

A single waiting station is illustrated for each aisle, and as shown in Fig. 4 each waiting station is situated in the lot so that a car first touches a waiting station switch and then the car approaches the aisle associated with that waiting station before reaching the waiting station of the next aisle. Thus the driver will be able to see the indicator of each aisle before he touches the waiting station which may cause the aisle indicator light to change.

Although I have illustrated only a few embodiments of my invention, and although the embodiment is referred to generally as alluding to cars generally it is intendedto include true representations or toy representations of the same system. Also, moditications, of the embodiment shown will occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of my invention, as detined by the appended claims.

It is claimed and desired to secure as Letters Patent:

l. A car parking system comprising a determinate number of parking stations, a waiting station, an aisle signal and an entrance signal, said aisle signal including a rst circuit and a second circuit,said first circuit having in series a relay, a first aisle lamp and parallel branches of said determinate number, said branches being similar to each other and having in series normally open parking station switches of said determinate number and a normally open waiting station switch in parallel with one of said series switches, said series switches v closing in response to a car entering said parking station with one of said series switches of each of said branches being closed in response to a car entering one of said parking stations, each of said waiting station switches being in parallel with a series switch of a diterent parking station in each of said branches, said waiting station switches being closed in response to a car entering said waiting station, said second circuit including a lamp connected to a source of electrical energy when said system is employed; said entrance signal including a iirst'and a second circuit, said iirst entrance circuit connected to a source of electrical energy and having in series a irst entrance lamp and a normally open contact of said relay, said second entrance circuit including a second entrance lamp connected to a source of electrical Venergy when said system is employed.

2. A car parking system comprising a tirst parking station, a second parking station, a waiting station, an aisle signal and an entrance signal; said aisle signal including a circuit connected to a source of electrical energy and having in sexies a relay, an electrical responsive sign, and two parallel branches, the iirst of said branches having in series a first normally open switch and a second normally open switch with a third normally open switch in parallel with said rst switch, the second of said branches having in series a first normally open switch and a second normally open switch with a third normally open switch in parallel with said second switch of said second branch, said first switches being closed in response to a car entering said rst parking station, said second switches being closed in response to a car entering said second parking station, said third switches being closed in response to a car entering said waiting station and having means for delaying their opening after a car leaves said waiting station; said entrance signal including a circuit connected to a source of electrical energy and having in series an electrical responsive sign and a normally open contact of said relay.

3. A car parking system comprising a determinate number of parking stations, a waiting station and an aisle signal, each of said stations having switches with normally open contacts which close in response to a car touching the respective said switches, said aisle signal having in'seriesA an electrical responsive sign-and parallel branches of said determinate number, said branches each having in series one of said contacts` of each said parking station switch, said brancheseach having one of said contacts of said waiting station switch in parallel with one of said series switch contacts, said waiting station contacts each being in parallel with the contact of a different parking station in each of said branches.

4. The parking system claimed in claim 3 wherein said waiting station includes means to delay opening of said waiting station switches.

5. A car parking system comprising a plurality of normally open parking switches, an electrical responsive aisle sign, a first aisle circuit means connecting said park ing switches and said sign in series whereby said sign is energized when all of said switches are closed, and auxiliary circuit means including an auxiliary station switch so associated with said iirst circuit means and said park. ing switches for energizing said sign, said auxiliary circuit means being inelective to energize said sign when any two of said parking switches are open and being efiective to energize said sign when any one of said parking switches is open with the remaining of said parking switches closed. l

6. The parking system as claimed in claim 5 wherein said first aisle circuit means includes a relay in series with said sign, said relay having a normally open con tact, a rst entrance circuit including an electrical responsive entrance sign and said contact of said relay whereby said entrance sign is energized when said relay is ener gized.

7. The parking system as claimed in claim 5, wherein said auxiliary circuit means includes means to remove said auxiliary circuit means from association with said first circuit means after a time delay.

8. The parking system as claimed in claim 5 wherein a second aisle circuit means is provided including a sign connected to a source of electrical energy whenever said system is employed.

9. The parking system as claimed in claim 5 wherein a second aisle circuit means is provided including a sign connected to a source of electrical energy when said rst aisle circuit means is open.

l0. The parking system as claimed in claim 2 wherein a second aisle circuit is provided including a second aisle lamp connected to a source of electrical energy whereby said second aisle lamp is on whenever said system is employed, and said entrance signal includes a second circuit including a second entrance sign connected to a source of electrical energy whenever said system is employed.

1l. The parking system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said waiting station includes means to delay opening of said waiting station switches after a car leaves said waiting station.

l2. A car parking system comprising an aisle and an aisle signal, said aisle signal including a first and a second circuit, said first circuit connected to a source of electrical energy and having in series a tirst aisle lamp, a no sign to be illuminated by said irstk aisle lamp, and a plurality of switches, each of said switches closing in response to a car entering each of said parking stations, said'second circuit including a lamp connected to a source of electrical energy whenever said system is employed, and a vacancy sign disposed immediately to the right of said no sign to be illuminated by the lamp of said second circuit.

13. The car parking system claimed in claim 12 wherein said second circuit includes a relay in series with said lamp of said second circuit, said relay having a normally open contact, a first entrance circuit including an electrical responsive entrance sign and said contact of said relay whereby said entrance sign is energized when said relay is energized.

7 14. The `carparlitlg system claimed `im vclaim 13 in clu'di'n'g a :plurality fof said aisles and said aisle signals and wherein the said contacts bf. each said relay .of the said second circuits are in series in said rst entrance circuit.

References Cited in the lc cf this patent UNITED `STATES PATENTS Hockaday V June `19, k19,23 Bum Sept. 20, 1949 Brinton .V-.. July 3, 1951 Rogers Oct. 23, 1951 

